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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25492639">Step Up 8: Dance Untamed</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Opalsong/pseuds/Opalsong'>Opalsong</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syr/pseuds/Syr'>Syr</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Step Up (Movies), 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - High School, Announcements, Audio Format: MP3, Audio Format: Streaming, Dancing, Failboats In Love, Humour, M/M, Podfic, Radio, Sound Effects</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:22:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,248</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25492639</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Opalsong/pseuds/Opalsong, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Syr/pseuds/Syr</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nie Huaisang does Maryland School of Arts' morning announcements.  He keeps everyone up to date on all the gossip.  Including the fire in the art building, Wen Qing's fashion line, Jiang Yanli's rising music career, and Premier Dancer Lan Wangji's duet drama with New Student Wei Wuxian.</p><p>  <i>what do you mean Nie Huaisang isn't supposed to be doing these announcements???</i></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>133</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Pod_Together 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Step Up 8: Dance Untamed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thanks so much to our guest voices: Isweedan as Lan Wangji, RevolutionaryJo as Jiang Cheng, and balefully as Lan Qiren.</p><p>Neither Syr nor Opalsong are Chinese and we apologise if we got anything culturally wrong.  Neither of us are from the USA (which is where the Step Up series and thus this fic are set) and so we may have gotten that wrong too (translating the temperatures into F was an interesting glitch right at the end.  We chose the most commonly used names in fandom to be the characters' modern names.</p><p>Thanks to Paraka for hosting!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p></p><div class="cover">
  <p>
    
  </p>
  <p class="credit">cover art by Opalsong</p>
</div><div class="content"><h3>Streaming Audio</h3><p> <audio></audio></p>
<h3>Download</h3><table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://opalsong.parakaproductions.com/podfic/MDZS/Step%20Up%208%20Dance%20Untamed.mp3">MP3</a></td>
<td>36:29</td>
<td>25.3 MB</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table><h3>Music</h3><p><em>Drive It Like You Stole It</em> by The Glitch Mob<br/>
+ many free sound effects</p>
<h3>Crosspost</h3><p>cross posted at <a href="https://opalsong.dreamwidth.org/">Dreamwidth</a></p></div><p> </p><p>Transmission 1</p><p>
  <em>School bell and intro music</em>
</p><p>NHS:</p><p>Welcome staff and students! It’s 8:15AM, the weather is 66F, mix of sun and clouds, and a new school year begins.</p><p>It was an eventful break, with many of our bright students distinguishing themselves both inside our academic halls and beyond.</p><p>Special congratulations to Jin Zixuan, who danced lead at our end-of-term showcase, beating all other hopefuls like Jiang Cheng... again. Rumours that his father bribed school officials for the honour are substantially quieter than they were this time last year. Naturally any such rumours are strongly refuted by all involved. Congratulations also to Mianmian, who danced female lead.</p><p>Our valedictorian, Lan Wangji, danced a solo, as he has for every showcase thus far in his short career. I’ll be inviting Lan Wangji to speak a few words to you later in the show, presuming he gets my message...</p><p>I also want to offer a personal thank you to Jiang Yanli who composed the intro music you all heard this morning. There’s a bright future ahead of this student, and we’ll be hearing much more from her, you can count on it.</p><p>Another rising talent to keep an eye on is Wen Qing, who was awarded her first contract in fashion design over the break. I’m sure none of us are more proud than her brother, and fellow fine arts student, Wen Ning. And by “I’m sure”, I mean “I’m 100% positive”. He specifically asked me to mention it today. I wish my brother was that supportive. Not that I don’t <em>looooove</em> being dragged by my feet to rehearsals! Ha ha!</p><p>Oh, here’s Lan Wangji, you got my message.</p><p>LWJ:</p><p>You said there was an emergency.</p><p>NHS:</p><p>Oh there is! The microphone longs for your dulcet tones.</p><p>*silence on transmission*</p><p>NHS:</p><p>No, don’t leave!!! I already wrote your speech for you!</p><p>*<em>Sigh</em>* I’ll lure him into the recording booth yet. Probably. Maybe. Possibly. Oh, let’s be real, he’s never coming near the broadcast room again.</p><p>As our final order of business, saving the best for last you could say, I want to extend a big welcome to our new students. Maryland School of Arts is the most prestigious fine arts academy on the continent, and I’m sure many of you are daunted to step into our hallowed halls. Already making waves is our only transfer student, Wei Wuxian, who stunned the entire judiciary panel at his dance audition.</p><p>Now I <em>maaaaaaaay</em> have been hiding from my brother in the auditorium at the time, and I <em>maaaaaaaay </em>have seen the whole thing. His style may be more “street” than “stage” dancing, if you catch my meaning, but there’s absolutely no denying that it was captivating. And no one was more captivated than our own Lan Wangji. He might not have gotten a vote on the judiciary panel, but I’ll bet my best dancing shoes that it was Lan Wangji’s face that convinced panel head, Lan Xichen.</p><p>See, I had a whole passage about it in the speech I wrote for Mr. Valedictorian, but it wouldn’t mean anything coming from me. I can never say the word “matriculate” with a straight face anyway.</p><p>That’s all for today’s announcements. Let’s all work hard, or hide well, and make it into a school term we’ll never forget.</p><p> </p><p>Transmission 2</p><p>
  <em>School bell and intro music</em>
</p><p>NHS:</p><p>Welcome back staff and students! It’s 8:15am and the weather is 68F and sunny.</p><p>The music department would like to apologise for sending the beginner oboe players to practice outside the windows of the dance practice rooms.  Personally, I found the sounds of strangled ducks to be very inspiring. I came up with a new move - something between a chassé and glissade. But with <em>anguish. </em></p><p>Speaking of anguish, if you’ve felt a dark chill seeping through the halls of our academy, don’t worry. It’s just Lan Wangji pouting that he’s been assigned by his brother to dance a duet with Wei Wuxian. Officially, it’s Wei Wuxian’s punishment for being kicked out of so many classes that he has to make up the time. But you’d never guess that it wasn’t Lan Wangji being punished.</p><p>Actually, this leads us nicely into a new segment I want to try out for our morning show here. “Drama Alert!”</p><p>Note to self: I need some sound effect for this. Maybe a “<em>Wooooo</em>” like a siren? Or more of a “<em>boop</em> <em>boop</em>”? “<em>Wop</em> <em>wop</em>”? I’ll workshop it. Stay tuned.</p><p>Back to Drama Alert! <em>EEEEEEeeeeeee. </em>Nope, that sound was terrible. Rumour has it that the official reason Lan Xichen is making Lan Wangji dance a duet is because he only dances solos, which, granted, are all absolute show-stoppers, but he needs to practice teamwork. The words “there’s no career in dance without co-operation” may have been overheard by one persecuted student hiding from his brother in a tree outside the head instructor’s office. That same persecuted student may also have overheard that the unofficial reason for the assignment is because... well, let’s just say that I <em>definitely </em>wasn’t the only person who saw Lan Wangji’s face during Wei Wuxian’s audition, and maybe our valedictorian wouldn’t be so upset about it after a rehearsal or two.</p><p>I- oops - that is, the poor student was not able hear any more because his brother caught sight of his grey jacket in the tree and dragged him out of it. And made him practice fouettés for <em>two hours. *tortured sigh*</em></p><p>In our final bit of news for the day, the faculty would like to remind the students to stop asking the janitors to open the piano rooms for them. All rehearsal spaces have to be booked in advance and the keys signed out from reception. Except for the broadcast room, which is never locked, because I’m the only one who uses it.</p><p> </p><p>Transmission 3</p><p>
  <em>School bell and intro music</em>
</p><p>NHS:</p><p>Good morning! It’s 8:13am. The weather is 57F and cloudy - chances of a thunderstorm later. *<em>Thunder* </em>You like that? I found a free sound effect library.</p><p>If you find yourself suffering from headaches or nausea today, please head to the nurse’s office for medical care. If you need anything stronger than over-the-counter ibuprofen, then I recommend asking Jin Zixun. If you can afford it.</p><p>I don’t care that it’s draughty,*<em>wind sound*</em> please leave the windows open to help clear the air faster.  The fine arts department apologises to the students and faculty. It appears that several cans of paint were left open overnight. And not the gentle acrylic stuff. We’re talking that lead paint that looks great, but can literally melt your brain. Oh wait, I’ve got a sound for this. *<em>water dripping*. </em>Hear that? That’s your brain on lead paint.</p><p>I’ve been texted the following statement from fine arts student Wen Ning: I really hope everyone’s feeling okay this morning. We’re working really hard to clean the air around the art rooms. If you’re queasy, I’ve got some great ginger candy in my locker that really helps. Please don’t spread misinformation about paint toxicity.</p><p>*<em>ALARM</em>* What’s that? Is that the Drama Alert!?</p><p>There have been several developments regarding the duet between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. Or maybe duel is the right word. Or no.... it’s hard to have a duel when you can barely be in the same room together. Wei Wuxian asked me stop by and help with the choreography.</p><p>I would generously describe the rehearsal as “a disaster”. Lan Wangji is an alabaster statue that sometimes deigns to come alive and dance magnificently, and Wei Wuxian is a literal goblin that sometimes dances magnificently, but nobody can tell if it’s by accident or on purpose. Hmm. I don’t have a goblin sound... But I do have *<em>Meow* </em>That’s basically the same thing, right?</p><p>Let me tell you, fixing the choreography is a stretch goal at this point. It took us 35 minutes to achieve eye contact without mishap. Oh sure it’s easy to say “hey, Nie Huaisang, come help us decide if we should move on beat here or do syncopation” and the next thing you know you’ve adopted a six baby sparrows and your brother won’t let you keep them so you have to hide them under your bed for five weeks and come up with excuses for all the worms you’ve been collecting. Not that I would know anything about that.</p><p>And yes, before anyone complains, I am aware that there will be other dances performed at the showcase at the end of term. Oh, Jin Zixuan is expected to dance lead? Again? Snore! No wait.. *<em>snore sound*</em> Wake me up when something interesting happens.</p><p> </p><p>Transmission 4</p><p>
  <em>No bell. Intro music</em>
</p><p>NHS:</p><p>Hi, it’s 8:26 and the weather is fine. I’m already late so there’s no time to waste on formalities. Nobody tell Lan Wangji I said that.</p><p>The reason for my lateness is the door was locked today. Locked! I didn’t know it did that. I didn’t know how to pick a lock before today either. I always assumed you just stuck in a pin and wiggled it until there’s a click. Did you know there’s a <em>technique?</em> I’d like to thank YouTube tutorials for being the sponsor of today’s broadcast and MVP of my education. Is that bad taste to say in a school?</p><p>I also got an email from one of the assistant principals pointing out that there IS no “radio announcements club”, like I didn’t already know that. Have I ever pretended to be anything more than a man with a microphone?</p><p>*<em>ALARM* </em>What’s that? Drama Alert! So soon? Well there’s no time to waste so let’s skip right to the important stuff.</p><p>Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are officially dancing a duet no more. Disappointing, I know. In the end, their personalities are so incompatible that we’ve recruited more dancers and now it’s a whole group thing. What? Did you think I was going somewhere else with this? Did you think those two <em>wouldn’t</em> respond to an already difficult situation by making it <em>more difficult?</em> Oh, to return to such innocence.</p><p>Jiang Cheng was the first recruited. The guy’s good, but is always stuck as understudy, so I totally understand why he’s here. Mianmian joining was a surprise. DRAMA! She had the female lead last term, but it didn’t exactly qualify as co-lead the way those Jin cousins hog the stage. Wen Ning is here too now? He’s not even in the dance department. Wei Wuxian brought him in and promises we’ll all be impressed, but we’ll see. But our last new dancer is the most mortifying of all. ME! I never agreed to this! Are you happy now, brother?</p><p>Lan Wangji says he wants the theme of the dance to be “forbidden lovers”, while staring intensely at Wei Wuxian, who asked him if he’s talking about Mianmian.</p><p>Wow.</p><p>At least they make eye contact now. Don’t get too excited, but they even touched each other. It was tentative. Electric. Highly erotic. Then Wei Wuxian asked why I was teaching him Mianmian’s part.</p><p>Just wow.</p><p>Mianmian does deserve a lead role though. So does Jiang Cheng. If I was in charge, I’d give them parts to show off their stuff. I’d - oh. Wait. I AM in charge. I’m the freaking choreographer. I could do a bait and switch... Oh man. I gotta go figure this out. Also, class.</p><p> </p><p>Transmission 5</p><p>
  <em>School bell and intro music</em>
</p><p>NHS:</p><p>Good morning! It’s 8:14am, and the weather is 72F and muggy.</p><p>I’m happy to start today’s broadcast by assuring all my worried listeners that after the “locked door” incident, I have acquired a copy of the key. Even Lan Qiren has to sleep sometimes.</p><p>Congratulations are in order for some of our students. From our music department, Jiang Yanli did the musical arrangement on a music video single for Violet Spider, that has gotten over five million hits on YouTube, and has been picked up for radio play. Real radio even, not one student and his guerilla broadcast where he talks about nothing but his friends. Congratulations also to Wen Qing, who has earned another fashion contract. This on the heels of her contract over the term break is a major achievement.</p><p>Starting today I have an exciting new segment for you all. A literature review. If I have to do this research for my “forbidden lovers” choreography anyway, then let’s become bibliophiles together.</p><p>I was going to start with Romeo and Juliet, but I’ve read it before so there’s not much to say.  Bit wordy - loved the dick jokes. Overall too predictable, but that might be because I’ve spent ten thousand years of my life watching Jr High students badly acting the balcony scene at open house nights. Instead I decided to go for the source: Tristan and Isolde. Oh BOY that was boring.  Am I five hundred years too late to the party for this to be steamy? Or interesting? I don’t even have anything more to say here. Keep this story away from operating heavy machinery.</p><p>*<em>Alarm* </em>Uh oh! You all know what that means... Drama Alert!</p><p>Dear listener, did you - specifically you - know that Wen Ning was a beast!? That boy is a dancing monster. And you, listener - specifically <em>you</em> - did not tell me!? I am disappointed and ashamed. Please rethink your life choices and how they affect other people. Specifically me.</p><p>I admit that I do have to take my own share of the blame for my current suffering. Rehearsals are... um... interesting? I might describe them as tactile.</p><p>I’ve created a monster. A beast with two backs. It took such effort, blood and tears to get Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji to just touch each other. And now they will. Not. Stop. Touching each other. The really crazy thing is that Wei Wuxian somehow still thinks that Mianmian is going to be Lan Wangji’s primary dance partner of the piece.</p><p>Like. What. We’ve discussed this. I know the choreography’s not finalized, but we’ve literally danced through the story.</p><p>Of course, he always says these things, before, after, and during physical contact with Lan Wangji. Who just responds with touching him back, and somehow also exuding so much sexual frustration and longing that I swear the windows start fogging up.</p><p>Please continue to send me your thoughts and prayers.</p><p> </p><p>Transmission 6</p><p>
  <em>School bell and intro music</em>
</p><p>NHS:</p><p>Another bright day dawns. It’s 8:15am and the weather is a balmy 39F with clear skies.</p><p>I’d like to reassure you all once again that this broadcast will continue to start on time as often as I am able. I’m sure many of you were worried when you saw the locks being changed again yesterday afternoon. Have no fear, I had to the foresight to copy the new key in advance. It’s amazing the knick-knacks you pick up snooping through the principal’s office instead of meeting your brother for remedial lessons to make up for the normal lessons you missed because you were hiding in a tree.</p><p>With no further announcements, let’s get into today’s literature review. After the snore-fest that Arthurian legend turned out to be, I decided to turn to something a little more modern. Let’s read some paranormal YA romance! Okay, I haven’t actually read any yet. There are just so many options! Do I go with the classic human girl and sexy vampire? Or branch out a little... human girl and sexy werewolf, human girl and sexy alien, human girl and sexy fallen angel, human girl and sexy elder god Cthulhu. I’m really paralyzed with indecision here. Send help!</p><p><em>*ALARM</em>* Big updates on Drama Alarm! today. And I mean big, unforeseen, ground shaking twists and turns.</p><p>I’ll ease you in gently with my first few announcements. Jiang Yanli and Wen Qing are joining us to help with the routine. Jiang Yanli will be arranging an original piece of music and Wen Qing is taking charge of costuming. They may even be enticed to dance. I already know they’ve got the rhythm and god knows we could use more girls.</p><p>Now I’ll turn up the intensity a little by talking about some big drama in <em>another</em> dance routine for the showcase. Word on the grapevine is that there’s been something of a coup in Jin Zixuan’s group. His cousin, what’s-his-name, has been pushing for the lead role.</p><p>After that hook and line, here’s the sinker. When his own rehearsal was cancelled, Mianmian, who already defected from the Jin troupe, invited Jin Zixuan to join our rehearsal. Ostensibly so he can spend some time with Jiang Yanli. You should have <em>seen</em> the glares from Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian. We’re not talking “if looks could kill” here, we’re talking “if looks could fire deadly lasers that ignited the atmosphere on their way to exploding the sun into a super nova that incinerated everything from here to the asteroid belt”. Times two.</p><p>No way this peacock is good enough for <em>their</em> older sister, no way.</p><p>From there, I get distracted for like ten seconds because Wen Qing is showing us some really nice fans she wants to incorporate into the costumes, I look back up and Wei Wuxian is, for some reason, lifting Jin Zixuan over his head! I thought he was going to throw him out the window, I really did.</p><p>Thankfully, it was just some weird flex about arm and core strength. Then, of course, Jiang Cheng has to prove he can do it too. One minute later, everyone is lifting everyone else over their heads and it’s a freaking competition. I refused to participate, of course. If my brother caught wind of my involvement in anything like this, I’d never hear the end of it. By that I mean, he’d make me practice more.</p><p>Twenty minutes later, Wen Ning is crowned champion after he’s lifted every person in the room over his head, many of them at the same time. Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are, like, somehow trying to lift each other simultaneously? I would definitely use the “entwined” to describe whatever was happening there.</p><p>And Jin Zixuan has officially joined the group. Great. Now I have to re-choreograph everything.</p><p> </p><p>Transmission 7</p><p>
  <em>School bell and intro music</em>
</p><p>NHS:</p><p>Good morning! It’s 8:15am and I forgot check the weather today. Just look out a window and guess the temperature, that’s what I do.</p><p>I’m sure you’ve all been waiting impatiently to see what forbidden romance YA series I’ve chosen. Well, I tried out few, and they’re all just too juvenile. So I went looking for something more mature. Have you heard of Omegaverse? It’s really ground-breaking stuff. <em>Very</em> inspiring. I’ve had all sorts of ideas for new choreography to incorporate into our performance.</p><p>But apparently I’m “not allowed” to add a birth scene. It would be “inappropriate for a school setting” and “nobody would get it.” Jiang Cheng insists that... wait a second, I recorded him while he was shouting. I’ll let Jiang Cheng speak for himself.</p><p>Jiang Cheng:</p><p>-not funny! You know they would take it completely seriously, so no, actually, it’s <em>NOT a joke!</em></p><p> My brother would earnestly act out being pregnant - he’d genuinely love that! Lan Wangji is just <em>looking</em> for an excuse to - wait are you recording me?!</p><p>NHS:</p><p>I had to quickly hide my phone after that, so the sound quality becomes inaudible. But I think I got the important part anyway.</p><p><em>*Alarm*</em> Drama Aleeeeert! The good news is that Jiang Yanli and Wen Qing have officially agreed to dance. The bad news is everything else.</p><p>First, if I can’t add any impregnation to my choreography, I decided to at least add a kiss. I mean, c’mon. Obviously.</p><p>Well.</p><p>*<em>angry sigh* </em></p><p>After <em>weeks</em> of being all over each other, Wei Wuxian now refuses to do the kiss. And it’s not because he doesn’t <em>want</em> to. That’s obvious. He’s done that joking-but-not-joking thing of “gosh, I’d love to kiss you everywhere, haha, jk.”</p><p>To which Lan Wangji replies, I’m not even kidding, “do it” with utter seriousness. But then Wei Wuxian goes all flustered and “oh, don’t tease me” and  “how could you torture me like this” as if he’s not the one who started it in the first place. As if Lan Wangji isn’t staring him in abject agony. <em>Everyone</em> is being tortured here.</p><p>Honestly, half the reason I put the kiss in there is because I can’t reasonably mash their faces together like barbie dolls. But it might come to that if this keeps up. I don’t know how many times I have to tell him that this <em>isn’t</em> Mianmian’s choreography, it’s <em>his</em>.</p><p>The showcase is right around the corner now, so stay tuned as we enter our finale and see if everything turns out for the better, or for the worse.</p><p>LQR:</p><p>Hey! You’re not allowed to be in here!</p><p>NHS:</p><p>The door was unlocked.</p><p>LQR:</p><p>We added a deadbolt.</p><p>NHS:</p><p>It was unlocked after I broke it.</p><p>LQR:</p><p>GET OUT!!</p><p> </p><p>Transmission 8</p><p>
  <em>no bell - intro music</em>
</p><p>NHS:</p><p>Hello and welcome to a very special transmission. The time is 9:50pm and it’s too dark to see if there are clouds. It’s like 41F or something.</p><p>If my audio quality sounds poor, please excuse me. I’m in my car, pirating the broadcast signal. Is that the right terminology? I’m very new to this.</p><p>What a night though! The showcase is over and we’re all either riding high, or sunk low.</p><p>Regrettably, I didn’t get to see most of the showcase myself. I missed <em>all</em> the art exhibits and I tried to sneak away to listen to the music recitals, but Lan Wangji is even harder to escape than my brother! Why did I let them talk me into joining the routine as performer? I did get to catch some of the other dances from backstage.</p><p>I can say with some satisfaction that Jin Zixun’s routine was lacklustre. The production values were good - I mean they’re always good when you have Jin money bankrolling you, but there was a distinct lack of oomph. Of pizzazz. Of je ne sais quoi. The audience could also tell because the applause wasn’t anything beyond what I would call “polite”. This isn’t your Joe off the street in the audience, mind you. These are all seasoned artists in their own right. You can’t fool them just because you had pyrotechnics in your dance routine. Which, can I just say, wasted. You don’t set off the fireworks in the <em>middle </em>of the routine, and then <em>keep dancing</em> like wet noodles for five minutes. You save the fireworks for the end.</p><p>I also caught the Wen brothers’ performance. That was too angry - and mean. They both looked like they’d rather break each other’s teeth in than dance together. I can’t believe those are two are related to my sweet Wen Ning.</p><p>But after that I was dragged away to get ready. Then it was our turn.</p><p>We started off with the old bait-and-switch, so it looked like Jiang Cheng and Mianmian were the “main characters” as it were. And they nailed it, really showed off their skills. For non-dancers, Jiang Yanli and Wen Qing were totally solid. We’re probably going get flak for keeping Jin Zixuan in the background, but, honestly, I think it suits him. He’s a reliable guy in the end.</p><p>Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were electric. Once they stepped on stage, nobody could take their eyes off them. I could barely remember what moves I was supposed to be doing, and choreographed the damn moves.</p><p>That kiss. Now <em>there</em> was fireworks.</p><p>There’s this moment that happens in dances sometimes, the really really good ones. And I dunno, maybe you have to be a dancer to know what I’m talking about. But sometimes there’s this moment, like a magnetic connection between the dancers and the audience, and you can feel them being drawn in towards you. I mean physically drawn in, like they’ll physically move closer to you. That’s what happened during that kiss. I don’t think a single person in the auditorium was even <em>breathing.</em></p><p>I think we can safely say they were enjoying themselves, because Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji both missed their cues. And their cues after that. The music kept going and they kept kissing. And you only know it wasn’t planned that way because I’m here telling you.</p><p>When they finally came up for air, they just picked up with the music, skipping over the missed parts like I didn’t put my sweat and tears into choreographing it, but no problem. It’s fine. I’m not mad. The applause was, I would humbly describe as “enthusiastic”.</p><p>Good thing it’s the term break now, because all going to need a few days off to catch our breath after that. Except for Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, who I suspect are going to be out of breath until the wedding. Then definitely after that too.</p><p>Never fear, I’ll be back in the booth soon to bring your all the best broadcasts and hot gossip. Don’t even bother keeping me out of the broadcast room, by the way, Lan Qiren. I’ve already looked up how to hack into a PA system.</p>
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